CISSA's Statement on Palestine
October 18, 2023
CISSA condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the genocidal actions and policies of Israel towards the Indigenous Palestinian people. As the Indigenous peoples of California, we know all too well the devastating effects of settler colonial occupation on our lands, bodies, and worlds. We also know that settler states justify their genocidal violence by demonizing those who survive and resist. We are not fooled by the Zionist propaganda in the media which attempts to decontextualize Palestinian acts of resistance and ignores the 75 years of violent occupation by the state of Israel. We echo the call that many others have made to hold the state of Israel accountable for all of the violence committed on Palestinian land in addition to all acts of terror committed against Palestinians during the long occupation.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s recent (since deleted) statement that, “There is a struggle between the children of light and the children of darkness, between humanity and the law of the jungle,” perfectly encapsulates the settler colonial logics of civility and civilization in which the agency of violence is projected onto the dehumanized targets of colonialism who are then eradicated through what Samera Esmeir calls the “violence of non-violence.” This is furthered by the violence of normalization in which the media and contemporary discourse, at best, balance decades of colonial and incommensurable violence towards an occupied people against their struggles for survival and freedom, but usually condemns insurgent actions as decontextualized “terrorism,” calling for violent retribution. As Esmeir writes in a recent article, "...perhaps we need to think more about the making of the figure of the civilian and the notion of civilian normalcy, the territorial and discursive conditions that go into cultivating civilian lives, and their unequal distribution. The civilian ethos, as a matter of liberal sensibility, requires innocence, political passivity, lack of movement, and fixity. In the eyes of the liberal, civilized West, the civilian must be pacified, passive, and blameless and must reject rebellion." CISSA refuses the logics and languages of civilization that have led to the deaths of millions during the global colonial project and which Israel and its leaders and defenders articulate now to justify the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. As David Lloyd asserts, "... whatever the ‘barbarism’ of armed insurgents, the truly brutal and barbarous evil is the civilized violence of the modern colonial state."
The blatant dehumanization of Palestinians by Israel’s Prime Minister and the Israeli military attacks on civilian homes and hospitals in Gaza demonstrate the urgent need for statements and actions of solidarity. Collective cries of solidarity with Palestinians, big or small, undermine Israel’s occupation of their homelands and bolsters their struggle for freedom. Further, it counters the long campaign to suppress any dissent or support for Palestinians, using the charge of anti-semitism, a coordinated effort that has the material support of the state of Israel. Together with a mass disinformation campaign regarding Hamas' incursion into Israel and Israel’s current and past genocidal acts, these conditions make all who support an end to the occupation and speak the truth about Israel's long history of colonial violence vulnerable, but, as with any popular movement, protection comes in numbers. While we are called upon to mourn those martyred by Israel, past and present, CISSA also follows the calls from Palestinians to attend to the dream of their liberation. Images of the destruction of colonial borders, of the flight of Gazans (breaking the border in the sky), and the promise of return have galvanized the Palestinian people and other colonized peoples around the globe. The Palestinian struggle is our struggle. The dream of a free Palestine, from the river to the sea, is the dream of a world without colonialism. We support Palestinians' ethical and spiritual imperative to defend themselves and their lands. Palestinians have the right to return. Palestinians have the right to live. CISSA stands in solidarity with Palestine.
Please also read these statements by the Union of Teachers & Employees of Birzeit University and the UC Riverside chapter of the Faculty for Justice in Palestine (FJP), which we support fully. (click images for links)
CISSA condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the genocidal actions and policies of Israel towards the Indigenous Palestinian people. As the Indigenous peoples of California, we know all too well the devastating effects of settler colonial occupation on our lands, bodies, and worlds. We also know that settler states justify their genocidal violence by demonizing those who survive and resist. We are not fooled by the Zionist propaganda in the media which attempts to decontextualize Palestinian acts of resistance and ignores the 75 years of violent occupation by the state of Israel. We echo the call that many others have made to hold the state of Israel accountable for all of the violence committed on Palestinian land in addition to all acts of terror committed against Palestinians during the long occupation.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s recent (since deleted) statement that, “There is a struggle between the children of light and the children of darkness, between humanity and the law of the jungle,” perfectly encapsulates the settler colonial logics of civility and civilization in which the agency of violence is projected onto the dehumanized targets of colonialism who are then eradicated through what Samera Esmeir calls the “violence of non-violence.” This is furthered by the violence of normalization in which the media and contemporary discourse, at best, balance decades of colonial and incommensurable violence towards an occupied people against their struggles for survival and freedom, but usually condemns insurgent actions as decontextualized “terrorism,” calling for violent retribution. As Esmeir writes in a recent article, "...perhaps we need to think more about the making of the figure of the civilian and the notion of civilian normalcy, the territorial and discursive conditions that go into cultivating civilian lives, and their unequal distribution. The civilian ethos, as a matter of liberal sensibility, requires innocence, political passivity, lack of movement, and fixity. In the eyes of the liberal, civilized West, the civilian must be pacified, passive, and blameless and must reject rebellion." CISSA refuses the logics and languages of civilization that have led to the deaths of millions during the global colonial project and which Israel and its leaders and defenders articulate now to justify the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. As David Lloyd asserts, "... whatever the ‘barbarism’ of armed insurgents, the truly brutal and barbarous evil is the civilized violence of the modern colonial state."
The blatant dehumanization of Palestinians by Israel’s Prime Minister and the Israeli military attacks on civilian homes and hospitals in Gaza demonstrate the urgent need for statements and actions of solidarity. Collective cries of solidarity with Palestinians, big or small, undermine Israel’s occupation of their homelands and bolsters their struggle for freedom. Further, it counters the long campaign to suppress any dissent or support for Palestinians, using the charge of anti-semitism, a coordinated effort that has the material support of the state of Israel. Together with a mass disinformation campaign regarding Hamas' incursion into Israel and Israel’s current and past genocidal acts, these conditions make all who support an end to the occupation and speak the truth about Israel's long history of colonial violence vulnerable, but, as with any popular movement, protection comes in numbers. While we are called upon to mourn those martyred by Israel, past and present, CISSA also follows the calls from Palestinians to attend to the dream of their liberation. Images of the destruction of colonial borders, of the flight of Gazans (breaking the border in the sky), and the promise of return have galvanized the Palestinian people and other colonized peoples around the globe. The Palestinian struggle is our struggle. The dream of a free Palestine, from the river to the sea, is the dream of a world without colonialism. We support Palestinians' ethical and spiritual imperative to defend themselves and their lands. Palestinians have the right to return. Palestinians have the right to live. CISSA stands in solidarity with Palestine.
Please also read these statements by the Union of Teachers & Employees of Birzeit University and the UC Riverside chapter of the Faculty for Justice in Palestine (FJP), which we support fully. (click images for links)
Who We Are
The California Indian Studies and Scholars Association (CISSA) is a decolonial organization consisting of California Indian people committed to the intellectual and cultural sovereignty of California Indian Studies and scholarship. The purpose of CISSA is to support and increase exchange of the diversity of knowledge of California Indian perspectives and ways of knowing of the over two hundred sovereign tribal nations Indigenous to what is currently called California. Our purpose is to identify, develop, and implement Native California-focused curricula, to promote, produce and disseminate California Indian-related research and pedagogical strategies and to support the continued growth of California Indian Studies.
We honor the legacy of California Indian intellectualism that has existed for time immemorial by dismantling ongoing colonial and imperial projects and building critical, theoretical, and community-minded praxis for California Indian futures. We are a collaborative, community centered organization that values integrity, reciprocity, relationships, respect and responsibility. We understand this intellectual project to be nothing short of safeguarding California Indian lives, lands and futures.
Learn more about our history and current CISSA members.
We honor the legacy of California Indian intellectualism that has existed for time immemorial by dismantling ongoing colonial and imperial projects and building critical, theoretical, and community-minded praxis for California Indian futures. We are a collaborative, community centered organization that values integrity, reciprocity, relationships, respect and responsibility. We understand this intellectual project to be nothing short of safeguarding California Indian lives, lands and futures.
Learn more about our history and current CISSA members.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can become a member? |
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Check out our membership statement. California Indian academics, independent and tribal scholars, artists, and cultural workers should join us. We are particularly invested in supporting California Indian graduate students and other aspiring scholars and artists.
How do I become a member? |
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Fill out our membership form. The link can be found on the Join CISSA page.
Is there a membership fee? What does being a CISSA member mean? |
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Membership in CISSA is free and gives you access to all communications from CISSA, a vote as a member of the general assembly, visibility on our website, and an active say in the collective direction of our association. Membership in CISSA is also a commitment to take part in the organization's collective project of realizing a decolonial vision through one's scholarship, practice, or expertise as a California Indian scholar.
What if I have other questions? |
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Connect with us.
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Pedagogical Resources
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Click image above for educational materials from the
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CISSA Inaugural Conference at UC Santa Cruz (2023)
CISSA at American Studies Association (2022):
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CISSA Symposium (2022):
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